Koodankulam (TN), Sep 20: Stalemate over the controversial Koodankulam nuclear power project continued despite efforts by the Prime Minister's emissary to break the ice even as the indefinite fast by locals demanding scrapping of the project entered the tenth day today.
Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy rushed here by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to allay the fears of the local population, up in arms against the project over safety concerns, visited the protest site and made efforts to hold discussions with the leaders but in vain.
“The people's sentiments are very strong. I will convey this to the Prime Minister before he goes abroad (tomorrow),” he told reporters at nearby Idinthakarai, the epicentre of the protests where 100-odd people are on indefinite fast.
High drama preceded his visit to the protest venue as the core group of agitators declined to meet him in Radhapuram area here, saying the invitation came at the eleventh hour and was conveyed through a junior village official.
“It was an insult to our sentiments. We were not respected. Hence we decided not to meet the Minister at Radhapuram,” S V Udhayakumar, Convenor of the People's Movement against Atomic Power, said in the presence of Narayanasamy.
Citing the same grounds, Udhayakumar also said they have dropped the plans to meet Chief Minister Jayalalithaa tomorrow to discuss their demands. He made it clear that their protest would continue till the project was scrapped.
Narayanasamy said he would meet Jayalalithaa in Chennai tomorrow.
Enroute to Koodankulam, Narayanasamy said in Chennai, “All safety measures in the plant are intact. We are hopeful that we will be able to convince the people and allay their fears.”
Narayanasamy has been deputed by the Prime Minister after Jayalalithaa yesterday shot off a strongly-worded letter to him, accusing the Centre of “abdicating” its responsibilities to address the safety concerns of the people and urged him to halt the project till the issue is settled.
The agitation against the project has intensified since late last month after the authorities announced that the first of the two 1x1000 MW reactors set up under Indo-Russian collaboration would be commissioned in December.
Social activist Medha Patkar pledged her support to the protest and said the state cabinet should pass a resolution demanding stopping of work on the project which has already undergone the hot-run test with dummy nuclear fuel.
Patkar told reporters in Chennai after meeting protesters that they were concerned about safety aspects.
“When West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could stop Haripur nuclear power plant, why not the Koodankulam plant (be halted)? Tamil Nadu government should also follow a similar approach”, she said. PTI
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